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Article Reference In search of the Latest Danian Event in a paleobathymetric transect off Kasserine Island, north-central Tunisia.
Danian (lower Paleocene) sequences in north-central Tunisia are dominantly composed of marls and shales but a conspicuous, indurated glauconite-bearing marker bed is associated with the P3a–P3b transition. This glauconite bed is considered to correlate with the Latest Danian Event (LDE) described from the Nile Basin in Egypt, with the ‘top Chron C27n event’ (Atlantic and Pacific Oceans) and with the ‘CIE-DS1’ (Zumaia, Spain). The LDE is thought to reflect a short period of global warming, similar to the Paleocene Eocene Thermal Maximum, but of lesser magnitude. The presence of a glauconitic bed at the P3a/P3b transition in Tunisia suggests that the sequence is condensed, which is confirmed by planktic foraminifer and nannofossil biostratigraphy, and by the absence of the typical LDE beds found in most Egyptian sections. Benthic foraminiferal assemblages were quantitatively analyzed in three sections in north-central Tunisia (Sidi Nasseur, Garn Halfaya, Elles) in order to characterize the paleoenvironmental evolution during the late Danian and compare this with sections in Egypt. The benthic foraminiferal assemblages indicate that the Tunisian sections were located along a depth- and a paleoenvironmental gradient on the shelf north of Kasserine Island. The reconstructed depth range is comparable with sections in Egypt, and encompasses middle neritic (Sidi Nasseur section) to shallow upper bathyal depths (Elles section,with up to 16% Gavelinella beccariiformis below the P3a/P3b). Like in Egypt, assemblage shifts across the P3a/P3b subzonal transition indicate shallowing and a transition to amore eutrophic paleoenvironment, characterized by relatively high abundances of buliminids and Stainforthia sp. The δ13C and δ18O records generated on well-preserved specimens of the ostracode species Bairdia failed to demonstrate the presence of the carbon isotope excursion (CIE) associated with the LDE at the base of Subzone P3b. A condensed section or a hiatus associated with the glauconite bed would explain why the CIE is not recorded in the Tunisian sections.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Eocene initiation of Nile drainage due to East African uplift.
The Late Eocene and Early Oligocene sedimentary succession in the Fayum, Egypt records the progressive development of northerly flowing Nile-type African drainage. New biostratigraphic dating of these units allows the calibration of the paleomagnetic record, the combination of dating methods enabling a detailed chronology of events to be studied. Between about 38 and 35 Ma there was a dramatic change in sedimentary regime and vast quantities of clasticmaterial were transported into the area, smothering the underlying carbonate platform and initiating a stepwise progradation of clastic units. The sudden change in sediment availability coincideswith the beginning of uplift and volcanic activity in the Turkana region of East Africa, cutting off preexisting easterly drainage from the middle of the continent. The Fayum succession therefore records the initiation of northerly drainage of central and eastern Africa, and the origins of themodern Nile watershed. The development of the current route of the Nile, with the incision of the current Nile Valley, was slightly later and related tomid Oligocene uplift of the Red Sea margins and Messinian base level fall.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference New mammals from the marine Selandian of Maret, Belgium, and their implications for the age of the Paleocene continental deposits of Walbeck, Germany
The early to middle Selandian fossiliferous Orp Sand Member of the Heers Formation in Belgium has regularly been excavated at its type-locality Maret for its rich and diversified selachian fauna. Among the abundant vertebrate remains, extremely rare mammal specimens have been found. Three isolated teeth have been published previously, all with uncertain affinities. The purpose of this study is to present new specimens from the same deposits, including a small well-preserved dentary of an adapisoriculid attributable to “Afrodon” germanicus, a fragmentary upper molar, referred to Berrulestes sp., and a premolar of a large arctocyonid. Among the previous specimens we identified Arctocyonides cf. weigelti. The adapisoriculid dentary offers new clues that allow transferring “Afrodon” germanicus to the genus Bustylus. The five mammal taxa from Maret indicate an age intermediate between reference-levels MP1-5 of Hainin, Belgium and MP6 of Cernay, France and present the greatest correlation with the rich Walbeck fauna in Germany. The deposits from Walbeck were usually thought to be slightly older than the late Thanetian deposits of Cernay. We infer here that the age of Walbeck is likely to be Selandian. The strong differences observed between Hainin on the one hand, and Walbeck and Cernay on the other hand, document a dispersal event from North America to Europe around the Danian-Selandian boundary.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference Unraveling the PETM in shallow marine Tethyan environments: the Tunisian stratigraphic record.
Despite the increasing understanding of the Paleocene-Eocene thermal maximum (PETM) in open marine environments, shallow marine settings remain relatively unexplored. We investigated an upper Paleocene to lower Eocene shallow-water sequence near Kalaat Senan in Tunisia (Sidi Nasseur and Wadi Mezaz sections)in order to generate a stratigraphic framework of the PETM in shallow marine fine-grained siliciclastic setting on the Southern Tethys. These sections expose the top part of the El Haria Formation (Fm.), the Chouabine Fm. and the lower part of the limestone bearing El Garia Fm., covering the upper Paleocene - lower Eocene (NP9a to NP11). The PETM interval is situated near the top of the El Haria Fm. and the regional stratigraphy is compared to the well-known Egyptian setting. The isotope record of total organic carbon (δ13Corg)reveals the characteristic negative carbon isotope excursion(CIE), comparable to the δ13Corg record of the Global Boundary Stratotype Section and Point of the Eocene at Dababiya (Egypt). Although the Tunesian PETM interval is quite expanded, no anomalous beds are observed and only the "CIE" core is partly represented as the top part of the PETM is truncated. In addition to a well-expressed CIE, the position of the Paleocene-Eocene boundary is supported by the appearance of nannoplankton (Discoaster araneus)and foraminiferal (e.g. Acarinina multicamerata)marker taxa. Furthermore, ostracode and benthic foraminiferal turnovers coincide with the onset of the PETM and are characterized by the disappearance of many common Paleocene taxa (e.g. Frondicularia aff. phosphatica) in this area. The lowest occurrences of Alocopocythere attitogonensis and Buntonia ? tunisiensis (ostracodes), Reophax sp. 1 (benthic foraminifera) and Fasciculithus tonii (calcareous nannplankton) may be applicable for regional correlation. These results indicate that characteristic PETM taxa evolved and/or dispersed immediately after the main δ13Corg shift.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Article Reference New Paleocene Sepiid Coleoids (Cephalopoda) from Egypt: Evolutionary Significance and Origin of the Sepiid ‘Rostrum’.
New coleoid cephalopods, assignable to the order Sepiida, are recorded from the Selandian/Thanetian boundary interval (Middle to Upper Paleocene transition, c. 59.2 Ma) along the southeastern margin (Toshka Lakes) of the Western Desert in Egypt. The two genera recognised, Aegyptosaepia n. gen. and ?Anomalosaepia Weaver and Ciampaglio, are placed in the families Belosaepiidae and ?Anomalosaepiidae, respectively. They constitute the oldest record to date of sepiids with a ‘rostrum-like’ prong. In addition, a third, generically and specifically indeterminate coleoid is represented by a single rostrum-like find. The taxonomic assignment of the material is based on apical parts (as preserved), i.e., guard, apical prong (or ‘rostrum-like’ structure), phragmocone and (remains of) protoconch, plus shell mineralogy. We here confirm the shell of early sepiids to have been bimineralic, i.e., composed of both calcite and aragonite. Aegyptosaepia lugeri n. gen., n. sp. reveals some similarities to later species of Belosaepia, in particular the possession of a distinct prong. General features of the phragmocone and protoconch of the new form are similar to both Belocurta (Middle Danian [Lower Paleocene]) and Belosaepia (Eocene). However, breviconic coiling and the presence of a longer ventral conotheca indicate closer ties with late Maastrichtian–Middle Danian Ceratisepia. In this respect, Aegyptosaepia n. gen. constitutes a link between Ceratisepia and the Eocene Belosaepia. The occurrence of the new genus near the Selandian/Thanetian boundary suggests an earlier origin of belosaepiids, during the early to Middle Paleocene. These earliest known belosaepiids may have originated in the Tethyan Realm. From northeast Africa, they subsequently spread to western India, the Arabian Plate and, probably via the Mediterranean region, to Europe and North America.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Book Reference The Diversity of Fish Otoliths, Past and Present by Dirk NOLF.
"The Diversity of Fish Otoliths Past and Present" (222 p. and 359 pl.) by Dirk NOLF is a monograph in natural sciences from the Operational Directorate “Earth and History of Life” of the Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences (www.naturalsciences.be/institute/structure/index_ html#earth). It contains a historical and nomenclatural overview of otolith research in paleontology, with special emphasis on their great impact on the evaluation of the fossil record of teleostean fishes, and a systematic overview (with iconography) of the 1391 fossil species considered to be valid and of all Recent species for which otoliths have been found as fossil. For every species, the stratigraphic and geographic origin of the type material is given, and where available, also the collection numbers and depository of the holotype. Fossil species based on skeletons with otoliths in situ, but which do not have exclusively otolith-based primary types, are also included. An alphabetic list of all the 1797 nominal otolith-based fossil fish species, with an evaluation of their validity and their updated nomenclature is provided.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Inproceedings Reference Paleotemperature and seasonality in the Early Eocene southern North Sea Basin inferred from fossil fish otoliths.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Manual Reference Reassessing the early Eocene stratigraphy of Belgium: a North Sea basin perspective on Ypresian hyperthermal evolution.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Manual Reference Deciphering shallow marine ecosystem dynamics during rapid global warmings: an early Eocene North Sea Basin perspective (Belgium).
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications
Manual Reference Shallow marine ecosystem dynamics during Early Eocene hyperthermals: a Belgian Ypresian perspective.
Located in Library / RBINS Staff Publications